Ok, In this chapter, I noticed some contrasts between the two cases of notification.
1. It's interesting that the angel informs the husband in the case of Zechariah, while in the case of Mary is the (pre)wife informed. Why? (hm I have no idea. Maybe there's no special meaning, but maybe there is. Do you have any insight?)
2. The first reactions to the appearence of the angel of Zechariah and Mary are similar-- they are both frightened. But then Mary is more able to reflect what the angel said, while Zechariah is just startled and gripped with fear(12). I think maybe it reveals the different habits of their faith. In my opinion, although Zechariah obeys all God's commandments, his services just follow the given routine but lack of his own usual reflections. Such faith is not enough to receive more grace however.
3. Zechariah and Mary both asked the angel a question, but their outcomes are different. Zechariah is like Abraham and Sarah who doubt angel's words with human knowledge, so that the angel judged him unbelieving. But in the other case, I found Mary's question interesting. Since she has been pleged to Joseph and is going to marry, reasonably she can interpret angel's words as a prediction of her marridge. But she didn't see it as normal words. She was thinking of the possibility of the pregnancy of a virgin. That's why the angel didn't blame her question but encouraged her that nothing is impossible with God(37). And then she said that, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said.(38)" So that we can find the comparison between the servant in real and that in formal.
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